Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!
The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.
According to a Feb. 23 Associated Press report, the American Academy of Pediatrics is supporting
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama's obesity prevention campaign by providing prescription slips to help pediatricians recommend healthy living tips:
The slips say, "Rx for Healthy Active Living.'' They list four daily tasks: eating at least five fruits and vegetables; limiting screen time to two hours or less; getting at least one hour of physical activity; and drinking fewer sugary drinks.
They also have a space for parents or kids to fill in which task they want to work on first.
The academy has downloadable versions of these prescription slips for pediatricians on its Web site.
Labels: awareness, prevention
Canadians are engaging in a national debate about whether their obesity epidemic warrants new laws and taxes similar to the ones used against smoking.
According to a Jan. 14 article by Meagan Fitzpatrick of Canwest News Service, the proposed laws would ban the sale of unhealthy foods or tax them, and put government subsidies on fruit and vegetables:
Governments over the years, have passed various pieces of legislation designed to reduce smoking, including increased taxation and packaging requirements, and some health experts have been pushing for similar initiatives to combat obesity.
Proposals include banning the advertising of unhealthy foods, increasing taxes on food that isn't nutritious, subsidizing fruits and vegetables to make them more affordable for Canadians and forcing the food industry to change its labelling, packaging and ingredients.
"This is a legitimate public debate about how far you go with voluntary versus legal restrictions," said [Dr. David] Butler-Jones. "The timing for that I think, really depends on when a community is educated enough, and ready enough and understands the implications."
In 2009, a Canadian group posed a legal challenge to companies that
were marketing junk food to children.
Labels: awareness, canada, junk food, prevention
In a Feb. 10 statement, the American Nurses Association (ANA) expressed its support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity:
As the largest nursing organization in the U.S., ANA stands ready to assist the First Lady to address this significant health problem through her program, “Let's Move” America's Move for a Healthier Generation.
"Nurses see first hand the devastating effects of obesity," said ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR. "Obesity can increase the risk of stroke, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension as well as many other illnesses. ... ANA recognizes the effects of obesity and pledges its ongoing support of programs that serve to address the issue."
The only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's 2.9 million registered nurses, the ANA describes its mission as "fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public."
Labels: awareness, campaign, government, prevention
About 20 percent of overweight young people open up spam messages for weight loss products, according to a study from Brooklyn City College. Author Joshua Fogel said the finding is troublesome, because many of these products can cause serious health problems.
Dr. Fogel interviewed 200 students of Commuter College of New York about their habits on the Internet and found the ones who were overweight tended to read Internet ads for weight loss products. Dr. Fogel believes that healthcare providers should educate young patients about the dangers of such products.
Labels: awareness, education
South Dakota needed a program to help children deal with weight issues. Aaron Maguire couldn’t find a program that addressed the need, so he created one of his own.
South Dakota's
Argus-Leader newspaper provided the following details about Maguire's efforts:
Beginning this month, Dakota Kids Inc. will help overweight and obese children through a 12-week healthy kids program.
Meeting once a week for about an hour, participants – from kindergartners through high school seniors – will learn about nutrition and they’ll exercise. They’ll go through body composition and strength tests and be sent home with tip sheets to share with their families.
A recent South Dakota survey found that 33.6 percent of the kids are overweight or obese. Maguire hopes his Dakota Kids program will help significantly reduce that number.
Labels: awareness, prevention
South Carolina’s Education Department head is teaming up with Subway in a campaign to combat childhood obesity.
According to a Sept. 8 Associated Press article, Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and longtime Subway spokesman Jared Fogle will be participating in a video conference call to mark the kickoff of a month-long anti-obesity video and poster competition.
Students will be asked to create videos and posters that creatively communicate the ways they stay healthy and fit. Jared is expected to visit South Carolina in October to announce the winners, who will receive fitness grants for their schools and cash cards to use at all Subway locations.
Labels: awareness, prevention
Convened in Boston and hosted by the city's mayor, the City and School Leaders Collaborating on Local Wellness Policies initiative met to discuss strategies for citywide wellness policies that could be sustained long-term.
"One of the innovative local programs that project teams visited was the Boston Schoolyard Initiative, a partnership by the city, school district and Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative that has refurbished 71 public schoolyards... these schoolyards are converted into spaces in which children can be healthy and physically active as well as learn outdoor science lessons..."
Several strategies were discussed for implementing similar programs in other cities, including connecting wellness committees to existing youth programs, and partnering with a foundation or other entity to ensure implementation of citywide policies. Source: National League of Cities
Labels: awareness, prevention, schools
David Jones, a retired North Carolina state employee, wants to raise awareness about childhood obesity. And he's doing it one step at a time - literally.
"Jones.... plans to walk the 73 miles from Snow Hill to Raleigh in October to take his message to state officials. 'I want to raise awareness that there needs to be more actions taken to defeat childhood obesity,' Jones said."
Three people are expected to join Jones in his walk. They will walk 15 miles a day for six days. Source: Kinston Free Press
Labels: awareness, childhood_health, prevention
New York Sports Clubs (NYSC), the largest operator of fitness clubs in New York, and Snapple are hosting a 24-hour spin-a-thon to raise awareness and money to fight childhood obesity. The event will take place on January 18, 2008 at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
"Corporate sponsors or individual riders will contribute a minimum of $100 an hour to participate in Saints and Spinners and all proceeds raised will benefit HealthCorps, the student health education program founded by 'Oprah's Doctor' Mehmet Oz in response to America's childhood obesity crisis. The goal of the event is to raise $375,000 to fund 5 new HealthCorps programs - one for a high school in each borough of New York City."
One-hundred riders will participate at a time, for 55-minute intervals, with each interval being led by a "Celebrity Spinner". This will be the largest spinning event in New York City History.
Labels: awareness, celebrities, exercise
The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) has launched a one-year technical assistance initiative that will assist six U.S. cities in promoting community wellness and combating childhood obesity. Each city has developed a leadership team comprised of both city and school district staff.
"The one-year technical assistance initiative will provide municipal and school leaders with peer learning opportunities and consultation with national experts in the areas of local wellness policies, childhood obesity, healthy eating, active living and school health councils."
In April, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced that it was committing $500 million over the next five years toward combating childhood obesity. As childhood obesity has become a greater concern nationwide, local wellness policies have attracted the attention of major foundations and of Congress. Read more at
NLC.org.
Labels: awareness, community, wellness
